The latest surveys and statistics show that investments into sustainable projects have been growing in the long term, also thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, it seems that ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) funds are more profitable than the traditional ones. The public sector is not lagging behind in aiding sustainable transformation; it is already possible to draw new funds on the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness (OPEIC), which can be used for driving innovation and more sustainable businesses. At a European level, new calls in the Horizon 2020 programme were announced which should help fulfil the goals of Green Deal. In addition, the European Commission published guidelines that will allow member states to compensate certain businesses for indirect costs in relation to the greenhouse gas emission trading scheme after 2021.

In short, yes. One study showed that government spending on renewables creates 50 more jobs per $10 million invested than spending on fossil fuels.

As we start a new decade, the forces shaping the European renewables sector are familiar enough, but the longer-term future in each market is becoming harder to predict. State action—for example, in the form of renewables support auctions—remains key. However, the tasks facing governments and regulators are multiplying and becoming more complex, particularly as decarbonization becomes as much a matter of industrial policy as of energy market regulation.

Greater use of modular engineered timber methods in office developments could speed up construction and bring sustainability benefits.